Category Archives: Cobb

WellStar Health System’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate, Facilities and Development Mark Haney of Marietta, a Chattahoochee Technical College Alumnus, received the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation 2017 Alumnus of the Year award presented at a TCSG Foundation awards ceremony held on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.

Haney’s education and career have their roots in technical education. As a high school student in 1977, he enrolled in the Emergency Medical Technician program at Marietta/Cobb Vocational Technical School, which is now Chattahoochee Technical College. After earning his EMT certification, he worked for a local ambulance service. He later continued his education at Georgia State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy and then master’s degrees in business administration and health administration.

Haney has worked with WellStar Health System since 1978 and served for many years as president of WellStar Paulding Hospital.

“Over my several decades of working with the technical college, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Mr. Haney,” said Chattahoochee Technical College President Dr. Ron Newcomb. “His passion for lifelong learning and unwavering commitment to technical education as well as his strong community leadership all speak to his worthiness for receiving this prestigious recognition.”

The TCSG Foundation recognizes outstanding alumni of TCSG-affiliated colleges each year at its “A Taste of TCSG” alumni awards program. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal along with TCSG Commissioner Gretchen Corbin presented the awards at this year’s event.

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced six award winners for the Innovation Fund Tiny Grant Program, a competitive grant opportunity that provides funding to traditional public schools, charter schools and school districts to implement small-scale programs that directly engage students.

“The Innovation Fund Tiny Grant unites top educators to prepare students to engage in today’s most important academic areas,” said Deal. “As we invest in young minds and encourage them to reach their fullest potential, we must also invest in opportunities to develop and implement innovative classroom methods. Congratulations to the award winners and we look forward to seeing the impact each Tiny Grant will have on the futures of Georgia’s students.”

Programs funded by Tiny Grants must align with one of the three following priority areas: applied learning with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education, blended and personalized learning, and birth-to-age-8 language and literacy development.

Grantees will evaluate the impact of the programs on student engagement and achievement and submit their findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) at the end of the grant period.

The grant award winners and their respective programs are listed below:

Applied Learning with a Focus on STEAM Education

Doerun Elementary SchoolColquitt County Schools
Making Thinkers with a Makerspace

Lindley Sixth Grade AcademyCobb County School District
Let’s Code Lindley

Birney Elementary SchoolCobb County School District
Bridging the Instructional Divide: Personalized Learning in ELA and Math for Title I Kids

About the Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund invests in public education entities that develop and scale programs that enable Georgia educators to improve student performance and tackle our state’s most significant education challenges. In 2011, the Innovation Fund began as a $19.4 million grant competition created under Georgia’s Race to the Top (RT3) Plan. To continue the Innovation Fund’s work beyond RT3, Deal appropriated state funding for Fiscal Years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Since its inception, the Innovation Fund has invested more than $33 million of state and federal funding through 142 grants to school districts, charter schools, postsecondary institutions and nonprofit organizations to pilot innovative education programs, ranging in focus from teacher and leader induction and development to STEAM (science, technology, engineering arts and math) applied learning, blended and personalized learning, and birth-to-age-8 language and literacy development. More information about the Innovation Fund is available on the GOSA website.

The Cobb EMC Community Foundation has been a strong supporter of ADay for Reinhardt for many years, and the organization recently made its annual gift to the University scholarship program.

ADay for Reinhardt relies on community businesses, organizations and individuals to assist with student scholarship for Cherokee County residents attending Reinhardt University.

“The Cobb EMC Community Foundation proudly supports programs that invest in students within our service district that want to further their education. The ADay program at Reinhardt allows us that opportunity,” said Carol Shaddix, chairwoman of The Cobb EMC Community Foundation.

Dale Morrissey, director of development and external relations for Reinhardt, said the University is thankful for the Cobb EMC members who choose to round up their bill each month to help fund the foundation and to the foundation board of directors who choose to support Reinhardt.

“We appreciate all that the Cobb EMC Community Foundation does for Reinhardt University,” Morrissey said. “Their longtime support of the University shows their connection and dedication to the community and helping to educate the leaders of our future.”

ADay for Reinhardt has provided more than $4.8 million in financial assistance for Cherokee County residents attending Reinhardt University since its inception in 1988. For more information about ADay for Reinhardt, visit Reinhardt.edu/ADay or contact Dale Morrissey at (770) 720-5506 or DSM1@Reinhardt.edu.